


One Moonlit Night...

by MidnightJournalist



Series: Moonlit Nights and Starlit Seas [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bonding, Bottom Victor, Cecaelia Yuuri Katsuki, M/M, Magic, Mates, Merman Victor Nikiforov, Mpreg, Top Yuuri, Underwater, more tags/characters to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-04-14 06:36:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14130246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightJournalist/pseuds/MidnightJournalist
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki is a Cecaelia. A powerful mage within the sea. With all that power, he finds himself alone in the World...without a Mer by his side, his magic will suffer and he cannot have a family of his own. On a moonlit night, his magic leads him to a lone Mer dancing in the sea and he finds that his life is about to change...





	1. The Call of Fate

**Author's Note:**

> So I wasn't planning on starting on anything new with two WIPs already on my plate, but I saw something about a Yuuri Tentacle Week coming up this summer and I got inspired, didn't want to wait for the summer, and found a bit of encouragement in a Discord group I'm in.
> 
> Honestly, I'm making this one up as I go and I won't be updating this as regularly as Lessons of Life and Love, but I do want to work on this when I can. Hope you all enjoy and if you know me by now, I'm a horrible editor when I want to put something out. I will take another look at this when I get a chance, but I've been awake 21 hours and I need some sleep. Hope you all enjoy and don't forget to let me know what you think. I'd like to know if this is worth continuing.

The moonlight gleamed through the water, illuminating the surface of the sea with a glittering light. The water remained calm, small waves upon the surface as those who lived below the surface settled into their dens for the night. Yuuri watched, hidden in the shadows of the entrance to his den, long blue tentacles curling over the stone creating the opening or brushing against the sand of the sea floor. He watched the full moon on the surface of the water, the magic in the air pulling at his soul. Nights like these were made for his kind…the Cecaelia…the witches of the sea.

Yuuri wanted to go out for a swim or dance in the moonlight, but something in the weight of the sea caused him to hesitate. The warmer temperatures reaching these waters meant that the Merfolk would risk traveling to these waters to begin their mating season. The temptation remained for Yuuri to go out and seek out a mer of his own…a mate to claim and have his children. Cecaelias never mated with their own kind as it would mess with their magical abilities, but Mers were perfect mates.

Still, Yuuri couldn’t manage doing as he’d been taught and go out to claim a mer. He knew his parents had managed to find happiness with each other, his mother stolen from her pod, but caving at his father’s constant care and affection. They grew to love each other, his father content with only having two children and a companion by his side.

Yuuri desperately wanted that, but there were too many stories of bitter matings…of Cecaelia forcing their chosen Mer to remain in chains, breeding them and using their bodies to fuel their magic.

Yuuri couldn’t imagine doing that to a Mer. He never came off as ruthless or power hungry as other Cecaelias did. His stamina remained strong…allowing him to do complex spells with plenty of food and rest without the strength of a Mer by his side. And yet, the thought of having a Mer as a mate appealed to him.

They were beautiful, ethereal creatures…catalyst for Cecaelias to use in their more advanced spells and potions. Mers were known as playful vixens…charming in ways no one understood until you encountered one for yourself. They were also swift and usually never went down without a fight. Yuuri didn’t want his mate to fight him…he wanted one to come willingly into his den, mate and carry his brood willingly, or want to offer his body and soul to the touch of Yuuri’s magic.

The full moon continued to call…to beckon Yuuri towards where he knew a pod of Mer lay sleeping in their den. Even out of practice, Yuuri knew he could sneak in and steal a sleeping Mer from their pod as his father had done years ago. He knew better than to ever try if the odds weren’t in his favor as the Mer protected their pods fiercely.

He knew that the Mer told their children horror stories of mating with Cecaelias. In a way, Yuuri knew some were true. It’s why he knew no Mer would ever venture away from the den at night, especially not on a night like this with the moon at it’s strongest. Yuuri wouldn’t be the only Cecaelia roaming about in the water searching for the foolish children who didn’t listen or the brave ones who felt that they had something to prove. They’d always be the ones in the stories caught.

Still, Yuuri felt the urge to go…something more drawing him deeper into the water…a pull so strong he no longer felt like he could ignore it. Swimming out into the open water, he followed the call getting ever closer to where the pod of Mers resided. His speed picked up and he found himself curious enough to keep going and knowing his own limits if he needed to pull back.

He was a distance away when he saw a flash of silver moving gracefully…the light of the moon glittering off scales. Immediately, Yuuri knew the creature was a Mer…one brave enough to be dancing tonight.

Yuuri crept closer, keeping his movements slow as he approached watching the Mer’s movements. His dark blue tentacles blended into the shadows of the water while his skin melded with the sand. It seemed to drag on forever, but as he moved closer he could make out more and more features.

The Mer looked stunning. Pale skin met the iridescent silver scales of his tail. Long silver hair trailed behind the creature in the water. When he spun around, Yuuri could see a lithe body that still looked like it had a great deal of power behind his body. More than that, Yuuri could practically feel the threads of the Mer’s strength reaching out to the magic within the Cecaelia’s body. Immediately, he knew this creature was special as his magic surged to life.

Along with his magic, Yuuri could feel his more primal nature rising. Cecalia’s were predators in the end…hunting down what they wanted or needed and he wanted this Mer.

Images of the creature in his den…spread out on bed seducing and beckoning Yuuri to him. He could imagine the bite on his bonding gland, fresh and then faded with time. Runes that would further bind the creature to him and his magic adorned the pale flesh right before the image of the Mer swollen with their children caused a hiss to escape past his lips surprising himself and causing the Mer to still.

The creature spun around and Yuuri caught wary eyes, blue as the sky above the sea staring back at him. Yuuri also went still, not wanting to frighten the Mer into running away. Already he felt the strong urge to swoop forward and catch him, claiming the Mer as his mate. The beast within urged him to move where the rational part of him kept him rooted to the spot.

Surprisingly, the Mer moved first, shifting closer as he curiously reached out as if to touch Yuuri’s skin. In a bit of panic, he moved back and out of reach. His control held on by a thread…if the Mer touched him with his magic and instincts so close to the surface…he feared hurting the mate and going against the morals he’d held to. Still, he felt a tugging at his heart at the hurt look on the Mer’s face. In fact, the Mer looked like he was pouting a bit.

“Please don’t.” Yuuri spoke, wanting to wipe the look off the Mer’s face. “If you touch me…I don’t know if I can control myself…”

He meant it as a warning. As much as he wanted the Mer to come with him, he knew he’d regret hurting the Mer in the long run. He knew if their bodies touched, his magic would flair and he’d lose the control he had. He’d force the Mer to submit to him and become his mate.

“I need to go. I shouldn’t have come here in the first place.” Yuuri muttered to himself before addressing the Mer. “I’m going to leave. You should go back to your pod. These waters aren’t safe for your kind right now. There are other Cecaelia in these waters who won’t hesitate to steal you away.”

Turning away, he forced his body to swim away from the other man. The invisible force that drew him there worked against him now making his movements sluggish and awkward. He kept his head down refusing to turn back, but didn’t make it far when a pair of arms wrapped around him and a warm chest pressed against his back.

In an instant everything changed. Just like he thought, his magic surged forth causing a surprised gasp to escape past his lips. His body moved on instinct, tentacles wrapped around the Mer’s body and Yuuri pinned the creature to the sea floor.

The Mer wriggled and twisted, trying to fight his way out of the forceful grip. Yuuri put more weight to stop the movement and a hint of fear filled those eyes. Still, Yuuri no longer had complete control over his actions anymore. His body moved on instinct now, wanting the Mer…needing him now that he had a taste of the magic. He almost felt drunk on the power…an experience that he never felt before and he wanted more.

The Mer whimpered as Yuuri leaned in to press his mouth over the bonding gland…teasing it and driving more delicious sounds past the Mer’s lips. Slowly, the Mer relaxed and with that, some clarity returned to Yuuri.

“I’ve always wanted a Mer to be my mate.” He murmured low into the creature’s ear. “But I’ve never wanted to force a Mer to mate with me. You’re so beautiful though and I can feel the power you have stored inside of you. I don’t even know your name or anything about you, but I want you to be the one by my side.”

The Mer made another sound before he answered. “Victor, my name is Victor.”

“Victor.” Yuuri let the name roll off his tongue feeling the creature shudder beneath him. “Would you be willing to become my mate?”

He pulled back, reddish brown staring into blue. Yuuri raked his free hand into his hair as his other trailed over the soft skin of Victor’s body. The Mer couldn’t look away, looking flush, lips parted as he tried to pull more oxygen from the water.

“Please, Victor.” Yuuri’s voice dropped, low and compelling, wanting an answer so he could claim his prize. Victor looked torn though his eyes held a mixture of emotions that made Yuuri want to know what he was thinking about. It took a moment for his eyes to steel over in determination.

“Yes.”

This time Yuuri shuttered, his grip tightening as he pulled Victor flush against his body. He couldn’t fully mate with Victor here, as they both lay out in the open, but he could secure their bond. Yuuri returned to teasing the bond gland in earnest. He used his saliva to numb the skin over the gland to ease some of the pain.

His teeth scraped over the mark a few times and the Mer’s head fell back in invitation. Yuuri grinned before opening his mouth wide, sinking his teeth into the bond causing the Mer to cry out before the Mer fell limp in his arms.

His teeth would force non toxic venom into the Mer creating a strong bond between them. While the strength of the bond varied between mated pairs, Yuuri knew that the bond between them would be strong. It was a bond between two powerful creatures and a willing one at that.

When he felt that he’d done enough, he pulled back to see the Mer passed out in his arms. Yuuri adjusted his hold to cradle his mate close. He began the journey back to his den careful not to jostle or jerk Victor in the water.

He felt more secure, more at peace once he had the Mer safely tucked into his den. Yuuri lay the Mer down in his nest and tended to his wound from the bite. Once he finished, Yuuri couldn’t help but watch his mate sleep.

Reveling in his new situation, he found himself protective and possessive of his mate. Curling up in the nest and holding the Mer close, he felt like good things would come his way. Finding comfort with the body by his side, he drifted off to sleep, dreams filled of the future to come.


	2. Whims and Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor wakes and reflects on his decisions though the incomplete bond calls to him and maybe Cecaelias aren't all monsters...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd be updating sparatically, but I didn't intend on it being a month. April was not a good month for me. I found out I was getting laid off due to my store closing in late March and so with the liquidation process, trying to find another job, other personal stuff going on, and loosing an entire chapter of another story kinda killed the month writing wise for me. I'm sorry that it took so long, but to be on the safe side, it might be another two weeks before I can get an update out. We'll see how much time I have next week.
> 
> Leave me comments and kudos to let me know if you like this or not. Hope you enjoy!

Victor fought through the haze, trying to pull himself awake instead of sinking back into his dreams. The problem was he was comfortable where he was. His body felt heavy and no matter how many times he became aware, the exhaustion he felt drove him back to sleep.

When he finally managed to pull himself out and wake up fully, he regretted it. His body still felt heavy and achy as if he’d swam for hours. His bonding gland throbbed and he could feel how swollen and tender it felt. His head pounded, trying to remember what happened the last time he’s been awake and at the sight of an unfamiliar den and dark blue tentacles wrapped around his torso and tail it all came rushing back.

The full moon…dancing out in open water away from his pod…the Cecelia…

Fighting back a groan, he closed his eyes again willing himself to fall back under, but he couldn’t even though he felt horrible. He let a Cecaelia catch him, even provoked the powerful predator into bonding them together.

Since he was a child, the stories and rumors passed through the pod…especially the closer they got to spring migration. They traveled to warmer waters because it was better for pregnant Mers and the babies. Warmer temperatures usually meant more predators to watch out for. Larger fish often would attack pods on the move as they were a food source, but more rumors were spread about the Cecaelias.

Cecaelias were known as the witches of the sea. Magic wielders and physically strong…they were enemies of the Merfolk in more ways than one. Horrible stories of steeling Mers away, keeping them chained in their dens…forced to fuel their spells and carry Cecaelia brood…wasting away until they outlived their usefulness and were killed, often eaten by the larger predators in the end.

Victor shuttered at the thought, though he didn’t see any chains nor had he been mated in the way that would lead to children. It was still too early in the season for something like that, but he knew it could be a possibility once the time came. Still, if the Cecaelia wanted to cement their bond, Victor knew he couldn’t stop the mating from happening. He’d already allowed himself to be tied to the creature.

He’d been warned, but didn’t listen. Victor had felt the call of the moon that night. Unable to sleep, he slipped out of the den and out into the open water without much thought other than a need to get away and it felt so natural.

Victor had been old enough to find a mate for several years now. While all Mers were capable of getting pregnant, some were more fertile than others and almost always wound up having strong children that went on to serve or even lead pods. Victor fell into that category and for years he’d been approached by suitors requesting Victor as their mate. Every year, Victor turned them down..wanting a connection with the person he’d eventually bond with.

He’d always been a carefree individual, carefree and lived life on his own terms. Only a handful of Mers truly knew the real him. Some saw him as a pretty face, someone who’d give them beautiful, prized children and a body to warm their nest. Others attempted to get to know Victor and when they came to know just how whimsical he could be, they sought to tame him…turn him into a submissive little thing. Often they found themselves disappointed and gave up in the long run, spreading rumors about the Mer that gave him quite a reputation. It made him feel lonely at times, questioning if he should give in and find a mate who could put up with his ways.

Victor refused to change who he was for any Mer. His antics often had the older mating pair who guided the pod in a fit. Yakov would shout at him in anger, calling him a reckless fool while his mate, Lilia, often scolded Victor and tried to guide him if he was in a mind to listen. Despite all this, all the lonely nights and the secret longing for something more…Victor never gave up hope of finding someone worthy of him.

It call came to a crashing halt weeks ago, right before they left their normal den to migrate. Yakov and Lilia could no longer condone Victor’s actions within the pod. It seemed that several Mers approached Yakov to complain of Victor’s lack of contribution to the pod. By normal standards, he should be mated and have several children by now. Yakov caved under the pressure, telling Victor the truth. Victor would have to find a mate this year…carry a child and accept his place in his pod.

No matter how many times he objected, no matter how hard he fought it, Yakov refused to budge. It got to the point where Yakov held interviews with several worthy candidates, settling on a mate for Victor since he would not choose one himself. The night of the full moon would have been his last night of freedom. Victor was expected to go deeper into the den to create a nest and do as he was told.

He tried to get away twice since they’d arrived at their preferred nesting ground, but had been brought back twice by the guards, often accompanied by a few of his friends to lessen the blow. How he managed to sneak out that night, he didn’t know, but he felt grateful for it.

For the first time in weeks, he felt free dancing under the moon. He’d spend his last night of freedom the way he wanted to and he would go back and accept what his pod planned out for him. It was his own way of saying goodbye, feeling trapped by the fact that he had no choice in the matter.

No place to go…no one to accept him…no room for the life he wanted to lead…no love…only expectations and acceptance.

The hiss had cut through his thoughts causing him to spin around and see the Cecaelia there and he was shocked. He’d been to distracted by his own thoughts, his grief and the pull of the moon to even notice that the creature had snuck up on him.

The Cecaelia was beautiful dark hair framing his lighter colored face. Reddish brown eyes filled with desire and lust and power that made the Mer weak. A slight muscular torso gave way to dark blue tentacles that stood out on sand below…Victor almost didn’t believe him to be real.

Reaching out to touch, Victor felt a flash of hurt as the Cecaelia pulled away. Why didn’t the creature come for him? Why didn’t he capture him and take him away?

His voice came next…explaining that he’d lose control of Victor touched him…that he didn’t want to hurt Victor…warning Victor to return to his pod as others in the area could potentially take him away…

Victor watched him go…swimming away..not dragging Victor behind him to cage him away like so many of the stories he knew by heart.

He felt an unexplained panic that forced him to move. Shooting off after the Cecaelia, he managed to wrap his arms around the creatures waist freezing as he felt the surge of power. Remembering too late that the Cecaelia drew stored power from Mers, he realized he’d made a bit of a mistake…especially when he found himself pinned to the sand looking up at the face of the power drunk predator.

As soon as lips pressed against his bonding gland, Victor expected the Cecaelia to just take him. Instead, the creature spoke of his own desires…to find a Mer to be his mate…to find a willing mate at that. To Victor’s knowledge, no Mer would ever willingly submit to a Cecaelia. He felt the raw honesty in the man’s voice…calling him beautiful and telling him that he wanted him to be by his side even if he didn’t know him.

He heard those words hundreds of times before now. Something about how the Cecaelia spoke the words sounded right. Victor’s mind raced, even as he gave the Cecaelia his name and the creature asking Victor flat out to become his mate.

The Mer could barely think. He didn’t know how to answer him. If he said yes, what would happen to him? If he said no, would the Cecaelia let him return to his pod? Did he want to return or did he want to take a chance?

Deep down he knew he was a little screwed either way. If he went back to his pod, he’d have to live under their rules…or he could take a chance?

He didn’t know what he’d be facing by choosing a Cecaelia, feared it in many ways, but so far some of what he’d been told about the powerful creatures was a lie. He wondered what Mers really knew about Cecaelias or if they were as cruel as he’d been taught to believe, maybe this one was different. At least the creature was handsome and seemed to care about Victor’s consent.

He’d said ‘yes’ to the Cecaelia, giving in to his instincts wanting to hope one more time. For some reason, he felt secure even when the grip on his body tightened and he felt teeth scrape over his gland. It hurt when he felt the sharp teeth pierce his neck, but at the same time, Victor had felt a moment of peace before he blacked out.

Now that he was here, he felt a little bit torn about his decision, but he didn’t have time for regrets. He’d made a decision for himself, so he’d see it through. First, he needed to see exactly what he’d gotten into. He managed to look back to see the Cecaelia still sleeping behind him. The creature still looked as stunning as he did when Victor first laid eyes on him. Taking a risk, he reached out to trail his fingers over warm skin. This man was his bond mate now, might as well get used to the idea. The Cecaelia was extremely attractive and Victor knew he could have done worse for himself.

He continued to watch the sleeping male beside him, secretly exploring with his fingers. The creatures hair felt soft to the touch, firm muscles lay underneath the smooth skin. Victor was most interested by the tentacles that were surrounding his body. He could feel the suckers cling to his scales and while it felt odd, he’d get used to it eventually. Expecting the outside of the tentacles to feel slimy, they were smooth and cool to the touch. Odd considering how much warmer the Cecaelia felt from the torso up.

Victor tested the grip of the tentacles, wiggling his tail a little to feel the limbs tighten a little bit more around him. He bit back the little gasp that almost slipped out as he felt the strength of the creature around him. Still his body shivered as arms wrapped around him pulling him closer. He felt the Cecaelia’s breath against his neck before it nuzzled at his covered bond gland causing it to throb harder and sent a wave of unexplainable heat straight to Victor’s core.

A pleasant ache, a unrelenting need filled him and this time Victor gasped, squirming to get out of the Cecaelia’s grip and put some distance between them, but the shifting only made the ache worse and the Cecaelia began to stir.

Bleary eyes opened, momentarily confused. Victor whimpered placing his hands on that firm chest, trying to push the creature away from him, but hands snatched his wrists pinning them down onto the bed. Testing the strength in the grip, Victor found he could move them. The appendages kept his wrists pinned and their bodies close so he could barely thrash at the treatment. It only took a moment for the Cecaelia to wake up fully, eyes filled with a bit of determined fire as the tentacles took over the grip on his wrists and the hands down to cup his face. Victor whimpered torn between trying to pull out of the grip or submitting and letting the creature do what it wanted to do.

“Hey, it’s okay. Calm down, I’ve got you, Victor. I’m not going to hurt you.” The voice cut through the haze and Victor felt his body start to relax. As soon as he lay on the bed, not resisting, he felt the Tentacles loosen and pull away.

Victor wanted to be confident in this situation. He wanted to be completely relaxed, but couldn’t bring himself to do so, fear of being caged and chained riding him hard, but the same time being so close to his bond mate, he felt a conflicting need for the Cecaelia. He got so lost in his panicked thoughts that he don’t know how long he lay there, but by the time he came back to himself, the Cecaelia had untangled himself from around Victor’s body, opting to lay next to him, brushing his hair away from his face.

“Are you…back with me?”

Victor caught the Cecaelia’s gaze. He looked concerned and Victor felt a little guilty. “I’m sorry. I’m…not myself.”

“It’s okay. I think I’d be a little worried if you didn’t freak out a little bit.” A smile manged to slip on his face. “You woke up in a strange den, with someone you just met last night, and I didn’t realize I’d be so clingy in my sleep. Plus you have to be feeling some of the effects of the incomplete bond. I can imagine that even that even though you agreed to this…I already know the reputation my kind has with yours.”

He startled a bit at just how perceptive the Cecaelia seemed. Still, the other man hadn’t harmed him, even let him go while he silently panicked. He just didn’t know how to react or respond to the Cecaelia’s words. Instead, he let the fingers thread through his hair, imagining it to be a lovers caress and tried not to look at his mate. It seemed hard considering how tense the space around them felt. They didn’t know each other, didn’t trust each other and Victor felt his instincts going haywire. He wanted to be able to relax and be himself, but didn’t feel like he could. If he disobeyed or came off too free spirited, who’s to say the Cecaelia wouldn’t chain him down.

“Would it be okay if I checked on the bite? I treated it last night, but I’d like to make sure it heals properly.”

Victor looked into his eyes seeing a bit of wariness there. The other man seemed so unsure. Last night he took a leap into the unknown, perhaps he’d be better off finding out now who he tied his life to. Slowly, he nodded watching as the man’s eyes looked a bit more hopeful.

The Cecaelia kept his movements slow, so not to startle the Mer. Victor watched him as he moved comfortably around his own den, fetching a container and something else to wrap it up in. The Mer moved, pushing himself up wincing at the pull in his shoulder. He still felt like his body was heavy, but he ignored it in favor for listening to the creature as he started to nervously ramble on.

“I just remembered that I never told you my name. It’s Yuuri.” He said turning around to swim back with a few other items in hand. “I guess…we have a lot of things we need to talk about. I imagine you have some questions for me.”

The Cecaelia chuckled nervously though his tone while speaking came off earnest and honest that Victor wanted to believe him. Yuuri assumed correctly that he desperately wanted to ask his questions, but he didn’t know which one to ask first. Instead he remained quiet allowing Yuuri’s fingers to undo the binding around his neck. He felt vulnerable as Yuuri cleaned the old stuff off the wound and remnants of dried blood. It ached, almost pulsing as fingers stroked over the bite.

“It’s a little swollen, but I think it looks normal for being a day old bite.” Yuuri sounded relieved. “It should look much better in a couple of days. Until then, we’ll keep it clean and wrapped.”

The pad of Yuuri’s thumb brushed over the mark, unaware of the havoc it created in Victor. It hurt, sure, but that ache of arousal was back. His mate’s touch on his bond mark sent heat curling in his gut with every stroke. He pressed a hand over the entrance to his womb. There was a slickness there and if he was in his right mind, he’d be flushed with embarrassment instead of this.

Either the Cecaelia remained oblivious to what was going on or he chose to ignore it. Instead he remained focused on his task, covering the bite with a paste and then wrapping it up in new bindings. The Cecaelia smiled as he pulled away, setting the stuff aside in an attempt to clean up and Victor couldn’t take it anymore. The need to complete their bond felt so strong, he forgot about his fear.

Before he knew it, his fingers found their way into inky black locks and he was pulling the Cecaelia in until their mouths collided together in an awkward kiss. It only took a moment for Yuuri to pull away and Victor let him feeling a little flustered. The genuine smile turned into a bit of a smirk as the Cecaelia’s eyes turned a bit stormy as if a switch had flipped. The eager, earnest, honest creature was gone…only the beast remained.

“I don’t know why I did that.” Victor admitted, panicking a bit at the look Yuuri gave him.

“I do.” Yuuri’s tone dropped a bit as he slid his hand over the now covered bond mark. “I know we still have a lot to learn about each other and you’re afraid and confused about all this, but you agreed to be my mate and the bond wants to be completed. We can put it off a few days, but the sooner we do this, the easier it’ll be for us. I don’t want to force you if it’s not what you want.”

“But why?” Victor whimpered pulling the Cecaelia’s hand away from the bond mark. He held onto it, using it to anchor himself, before continuing. “Why do you care if I consent or not? From everything I’ve been told about your kind, you usually just take what you want from Mers.”

Yuuri’s gaze softened and he made no effort to pull his hand away from Victor’s grip. “Your right, Cecaelia usually take what they want, including stealing Merfolk away for their own purposes whatever they are. Even my father stole my mother from her pod, but besides that, he’s never forced her to do anything she didn’t want to. They’ve found a way to be happy together and it’s something I’ve always wanted the kind of relationship they had. I never wanted to be in a position where I control my mate, but instead a willing partnership between us. I’m not saying it’ll be an easy task or there won’t be obstacles to overcome in the future. I only ask that you give me a chance and be open with me if there’s something bothering you or something you don’t understand.”

Victor felt a little stunned. He never expected a Cecaelia to want an equal partnership with a Mer. They were strong enough to completely destroy an entire pod of Mer with their magic even without a catalyst. The thought seemed impossible even now, but looking at the eagerness in Yuuri, feeling the honesty in his words through the bond, the creature before him meant what he said and hoped Victor believed him.

Everything he’d seen from Yuuri contradicted everything he knew of Cecaelia. Something about this creature’s words made him feel safe, secure, even cherished. Still, he didn’t fully trust Yuuri, but he knew it’d come with time. It was too late for him to turn back now anyway. He’d allowed the creature to bond him and with the effects of their bonding seeping into him, lighting his blood with desire, it was only a matter of time before Yuuri had him in other ways.

He brought the hand he still clutched in his back to his cheek. He nuzzled the warm palm, looking at Yuuri with desire in his gaze. He agreed with everything Yuuri told him, but his thoughts had been thoroughly scrambled by the feelings coursing through him. The bond needed to be completed and Victor didn’t know if he could wait a few days like Yuuri suggested.

The Cecaelia’s eyes darkened, body going a little rigid, but he made no other moves to touch Victor or move closer. No doubt he could sense the havoc going on through their bond and it seemed to effect him the same.

“Victor,” Yuuri’s voice came out low...a warning. “Are you sure you want this now? We can put this off a few days. Give us a chance to get used to each other a bit before we complete our bond.”

Victor closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He pressed his free hand over his abdomen where the ache grew. He wanted the beautiful Cecaelia and he’d deal with the consequences later as he always did.

“And if I said I still want this…that I want you.” He shifted, moving closer to Yuuri. He managed to reach out and cup both of Yuuri’s cheeks. “I agreed to be your mate and I know that you’re telling me the truth about everything. It’s too late for me to change my mind so the only thing we can do is keep going.”

Yuuri gaped at him causing Victor to find his smile. Seemed he could surprise his new mate. “You’ll find that you mated a very whimsical Mer. I enjoy surprising people and I do what I want to do when I want to do it. When I agree to something, I mean it.”

Victor still had a fear of the unknown. He didn’t know what would happen in their future, but he was determined to do this and test Yuuri’s limits. It wouldn’t be easy, but he’d be damned if his path was chosen for him. He felt like he could be happy with Yuuri and he could make Yuuri happy even if it took some time.

Tempting the Cecaelia, Victor brushed his lips over Yuuri’s to tease him a bit. The next thing he knew, Yuuri’s fingers had threaded into his long silver hair and he found his mouth being devoured. He gasped as tentacles wound their way around his fin and Yuuri caught both of his wrists, guiding him back to lay in the nest.

The kiss caused his desires to flair up even more. He let Yuuri take control, realizing he felt a little unsure of how they were supposed to do this. He only had the gist of how Mers mated, but surely Yuuri knew what he was doing.

As he thought about it, the Cecaelia pulled back to look at Victor with a predatory hunger in his eyes. Victor’s breath caught, but he could still feel through the bond that Yuuri was in complete control.

“You did surprise me and it seems I did the same for you.” Yuuri finally spoke. “Don’t worry, I do know how this works and I want you to tell me if you’re uncomfortable. It would be a shame if you didn’t want to return to our bed because I didn’t do well the first time. Try to relax and let me take care of you.”

Despite the words, Victor sensed a bit of bravado to hide the nerves he felt, but it could have been his own nerves there too. Still their bodies reacted to being so close and the bond needing to be completed that Victor wanted to just give in to his instincts and allow his mate to take care of him.

Once again, tentacles replaced Yuuri’s hands around his forearms, twining from his elbow to his wrists. Victor tested the strength of the grip and found it just as strong as before. More held his fin steady, so Victor didn’t even try to shift even though he wanted to. Especially when Yuuri’s hands brushed over his sides and over his sensitive nipples. No other creature had dared to touch him this way, made him feel like this or even made him want this. Yuuri had done all of that in a matter of a day and Victor made his decision to fully submit to the power Cecaelia.

Yuuri bent down and pressed a kiss over the covered bond mark, nuzzling it. Victor couldn’t help squirming a bit, gasping as the tentacles flexed, tightening around him as Yuuri kissed him again trying to sooth him with touch and distract him with kisses. It felt wonderful and little by little, Victor relaxed unaware of Yuuri’s next move.

The Cecaelia moved, his body shifting down Victors to press kisses and suck marks into pale skin. It was a mixture of blind worship and possessive claiming. As his mate began to tease a nipple, Victor felt something blunt and large rubbing against his mating slit on his fin causing him to gasp before keening and try to pull away.

“Shhh…” Yuuri made the soft sound trying to coax him into stopping. “I know it feels strange, but if I don’t loosen you up a little bit, I’ll hurt you and neither of us want that.”

“I’m not that fragile.” Victor countered, gasping again as the appendage moved. “It just surprised me.”

This time Yuuri smirked, tone turned teasing as he spoke. “I know you’re not fragile. You’re very bold, and I like that. Still, I know that my mating tentacle is much bigger than a Mer’s cock. I’d rather not rush stretching you open to take me.”

“It doesn’t seem that big.” Victor bantered back, catching sight of the teasing tentacle. It really didn’t seem that bad and he felt a surge of confidence that he could handle it.

“That one isn’t, but that’s not my mating tentacle either. Trust me, Victor. You’re body isn’t ready for it yet.”

Before Victor could protest, his lips were claimed again as the tentacle continued to wreck havoc on his sensitive slit. The tip dipped inside of him and he could feel a bit of slickness from the tentacle rub off and his body’s reaction. His inner muscles relaxed a bit and he felt more and more sensitive with every swipe until Victor had to turn his head away from the kisses, a moan escaping as he tugged at the tentacles binding him.

His head felt a little hazy as the slow pleasure coursed through them. Yuuri continued to tease him with his mouth as the tentacle finally pulled away to be replaced by Yuuri’s finger. He pressed one finger in, pressing deep and Victor wanted to wriggle away from the new sensation. He felt his own body respond in kind, secreting his own slick to ease the way for the probing finger.

A second finger entered and Victor clenched his hands in fists to ground himself. He could feel those fingers inside of him, stretching him bit by bit as Yuuri moved them. A third finger entered and Victor realized how much he sorely underestimated what his body could take. It felt a little tight, but bit by bit Yuuri took his time loosening him up to take another finger.

He gasped as he felt a tentacle circle around his newly exposed cock, stroking it in time of the movements of Yuuri’s fingers. He felt so full, but he wanted more. The feeling wasn’t enough and soon he found himself begging his mate.

“Please Yuuri. I need more. I need you inside me. I need you to complete our bond. Please.” Victor’s cries were cut off with another hungry kiss as the Cecaelia removed his fingers pressing something much bigger at Victor’s entrance. Fueled by the desperation shared between them and the bond, Yuuri wasted little time in slowly pushing the tip of his mating tentacle inside his mate.

Victor cried out, head falling back and his long hair fanned out in the nest at the abrupt movement. It felt so big, almost too big, but he forced his body to relax as the discomfort slowly gave way to pleasure as the tentacle slid deeper. He felt full in a pleasant way and the dual sensation of the tentacle inside of him and the other around his cock.

He never knew mating could feel like this. Wave after wave of pleasure spread through his body. When Yuuri began to move Victor cried out feeling like it felt too much and yet not enough. He never knew such pleasure and it threatened to overwhelm him. Yuuri continued to press deeper inside of him and he felt like his pleasure almost reached it peak. With a cry, his vision whited out as he tumbled over that peak and he heard Yuuri hiss as he came, spilling continuously deep into Victor.

It took some time before he came down from the pleasure, feeling Yuuri above him, surrounding him and holding him close. The Cecaelia ran his hands over Victor’s body trying to sooth it while murmuring praises about Victor’s beauty and how responsive he’d been. Victor was still a little lost in his own head, exhaustion creeping in again as his body finally went limp in his mates grip and the tentacles cradled him in their nest. He lay there content, even when Yuuri pulled out of his body, wanting to stay in the pleasant daze for a little while longer.

When Victor finally came back to himself, Yuuri lay next to him in the nest, fingers stroking through Victor’s hair. He seemed a little lost in thought, but came back to look at Victor when he shifted. He looked nervous, possibly about how well he did, but Victor felt nothing but contentment. He reached out to cup Yuuri’s cheek in reassurance and the Cecaelia seemed to relax.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, I feel different, but I feel good. I never knew that mating could feel like that.” Victor admitted, turning away as he felt a bit of heat spread across his cheeks and chest. “I never thought I’d enjoy something like that, but with you I did.”

It all felt new and strange to him. His body thrummed with the remnants of his pleasure and gradually, he felt the bond slowly began to feel more complete. Their complete bond meant they could share their thoughts and feelings with each other. If one of them got lost, the other could find them. It’d make it impossible for them to lie to each other and it would only strengthen any developing feelings between them.

Already Victor’s doubts and lingering fears slowly began to fade away. He felt safe in the nest with his mate and he now knew that Yuuri meant every word he’d said earlier. The Cecaelia really did care about Victor’s opinion, even enjoyed their little banter while mating. They still had a long road ahead and plenty of things to learn about one another, but here in the safety of their nest…in their den…their worlds came together making them complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what did you think? The end seemed a little abrupt to me, but that's where it wanted to end, so that's how it ended. Also, I'm not used to writing smut and this is my first go at tentacle smut, so hopefully I did okay. Please leave comments, questions, kudos to let me know if you like it or not. I'd love to continue the story, but sometimes I need those to fuel me and push me on.
> 
> Please follow me and feel free to reach out to me on Tumblr. I don't look all that active, but I'm on Tumblr just about every day, so I will see it and get back to you as soon as I can.
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> I do post previews and I can do some world building up there. Tell me what you want to see. Also, check out my other stories and let me know what you think!
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> Also decided to start a Discord channel if you would like to come discuss my work with me and other readers. I only ask that if you come in, you abide by the rules and make an effort to be a little active. It would be great for me to meet and talk to those who enjoy reading my stuff...just follow the link below. Not on Discord yet...it's free to download on your computer or on a mobile app or you can open it up on their webpage if that works better for you. It's just starting out, so don't worry if it's a bit small. I'll still interact even if only a few people are interested. Just pop in and say hi so I know you're there and if I can answer I will!
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	3. Testing the Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Victor bond a bit...they decide to go back to Victor's pod to collect his things, but it's never as easy as it seems...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two stories in one day...go me...we're delving into a bit of angsty stuff here, just so you all have a bit of a heads up. I do have my reasons for this...plans for the not so distant future...so brace your self and know it's all part of my plan. Again did a quick edit, so sorry if I missed anything. Hope you enjoy!

They practically stayed in bed another day, too content to leave it as they gave in to passion a few more times and tested the limits of their full bond. Yuuri knew they still had a lot to learn about each other and adjustments to make and he wanted Victor to believe him. He hoped they could be equal partners at least in their den and that the Mer would willingly let Yuuri use the energy he stored in his body to help with his work.

Yuuri’s family became well known generations before as healers in this area. Yuuri’s father had a talent for using his magic to heal, something he passed on to both to his children, though Yuuri especially. It was so much so that when Yuuri left his parents den, he moved far enough away to be able to divert some of the sea creatures seeking his parents for treatment, but close enough to aid if the need ever came.

This time of year, with more and more sea creatures gathered in their warmer waters, led to a lot more incidents. Tensions ran high as Cecaelia and Merfolk both migrated to the area for mating season. The migration usually led to fights between the races or attacks by the predators lured to the area because of the increase in sea creature activity hoping for easy prey. More often than not, Yuuri spent most of his days aiding the injured while still keeping up with regular visitors who remained in the area and knew to seek him out.

Over the years, Yuuri’s mother had learned how to assist his father and Yuuri hoped at some point Victor could do the same for him. Not all the Cecaelia appreciated a Mer helping out, as they didn’t have high opinions of them, but when it came to a difficult healing session, sometime the energy a Mer could give to their mate became the difference between a creature living or dying.

Still, Yuuri’s father made sure to warn others that any disrespect to his mate and he would deny them treatment. Yuuri planned to enact the same policy to protect his mate, but the likelihood that Victor would be able to assist him with minor incidents would probably have to wait until the next season as he would lack the ease to move around the cave or the knowledge to know what to do to help. The mer seemed willing enough to learn and strong enough to face the difficulties Yuuri often faced.

“What are you thinking about?” Victor asked, pulling him from his errant thoughts. The Mer reached out to touch Yuuri’s face and he realized he had a more serious look than he intended.

“You.” Yuuri answered honestly not elaborating as he kissed his mate. Victor was addicting and Yuuri enjoyed kissing his mate and having the Mer wrapped up in his arms and tentacles.

“My mate is so serious.” The Mer teased when they pulled apart. “I hope I’m not the reason you have a frown on your face.”

“No, I was thinking about our future together. There are some things I do want to explain to you, but it can wait. Would you like to take a look around the cave? It’s your den now too. You should be familiar and comfortable with it too.”

“Hmmm…” Victor looked thoughtful, a glint of mischief in those blue eyes. The hesitance and fear completely gone now that their bond was completed. “I think I can see it all from the nest. It’s a little small.”

Yuuri smirked at the teasing. “This is only the deepest part of the cave. The opening isn’t easily found which makes for a good defense and I usually only come down here to sleep. I have much more to show you.”

He picked this part of the cave specifically for a nest when he came in. The entrance to this cavern wasn’t easily seen and it had plenty of room for the two of them to move around in. Yuuri spent years carving shelves for his personal trinkets and belongings when he was alone. It gave the Cecaelia privacy and after assisting with a handful of difficult births, Yuuri knew that once Victor became pregnant, he’d want a safe space to stay until he gave birth. He put a lot of thought into creating his bed here and he hoped Victor realized it eventually.

“Come, I’ll show you where the opening is.” Yuuri beckoned for Victor to follow him and he watched as the Mer finally left the nest, body moving fluidly in the water and his long silver hair flowing behind him in waves. Victor noticed him staring and flushed reaching to gather the long strands in an effort to tame them. The strands were a bit tangled from laying on the bed without being brushed and Victor tried to comb his fingers through them, seemingly embarrassed to be seen in such a state.

Yuuri swam to a shelf, pulling a brush from his belongings and swam over to his mate. Victor eyes the brush and tries to reach for it, but Yuuri shakes his head. “Allow me to do this for you, Victor.”

Victor seems uncertain, but Yuuri takes Victor’s hand and moves him to a place where he’d be comfortable as Yuuri ran the brush through the strands. Yuuri is careful and methodical as he untangles every knot, eventually taking the strands in his hand and braiding the long hair and securing it so that it didn’t become loose when they swam. The Mer seemed surprised, touching the braid reverently, eyes sparkling.

“I would have never thought a Cecaelia would know how to braid hair.”

“My father used to do it for my mother when her hair was longer to pamper her a bit. When my sister and I were old enough, he showed us how to do it too, though I’m a bit out of practice. I hope I did all right.” Yuuri paused. “It’ll also keep it from getting caught on the rocks and yanked out. The entrance to this cavern is a little narrow and it’s so pretty, I’d hate to see it yanked out.”

“I love it. Thank you, Yuuri.” Victor told him and Yuuri felt the warmth of gratitude through the bond.

“I’m glad.” Yuuri said, as he took Victor’s hand and lead him to the opening in the cave. “It looks like a bit of a tight squeeze, but put your arms in first and if you feel stuck, place them flat on the surface and pull yourself through. I’ve made sure smooth the rocks out around the edges, so you you shouldn’t get scratched.”

Yuuri slipped through, swimming up to get out of Victor’s way. The mer slid through following Yuuri’s instructions, pushing against the stone to pull himself through the hole. He looked up at Yuuri in triumph, swimming up so they could move through the water and up to the main cavern of the cave.

The entrance of the main cave remained well hidden and it was small enough that no large predators could get in. It let to a network of caverns that Yuuri methodically used for various tasks, many for his work. A few of the back caverns he stored items he’d gathered over the years and he wanted Victor to have a space for himself if he had any hobbies or just wanted to be alone. Eventually the unoccupied caverns could be use for their children as well. He talked about what he did and told Victor about each cavern as they swam through the cave.

Victor put a hand on the walls contemplating everything Yuuri told him. He watched the Mer, still unable to believe such a beautiful creature agreed to be his mate. Victor proved his strength of will facing him and accepting him. They had so many trials ahead and Yuuri would do what he could to protect the Mer from the worst, but he knew what most of his kind thought of Merfolk. He couldn’t protect Victor from everything and he’d eventually have to introduce him to the important people in his life. While he loved and respected his family and the handful of friends he did have, they could be a bit much sometimes.

Watching the Mer, he could sense a bit of sadness from him. Victor couldn’t hide what he was feeling from Yuuri due to the bond, but Yuuri didn’t know the cause. He wanted Victor to come to him, but since the bond was so new, the Yuuri needed to ask to get Victor more comfortable with talking to him.

“Victor, what’s wrong?” He spoke softly and the Mer spun around to look at him a little surprised. Yuuri reached out to press his palm against the bond mark and Victor understood.

“It’s not you or any of this. I don’t regret giving myself to you or becoming you mate, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Victor responded, though it had been the last thing on Yuuri’s mind. “I guess I wish I’d known that I’d meet you. I left some of my precious things in the cave we were staying. I want to go back to get them if I can. I just don’t know if you’ll let me…or how my pod will respond.”

Yuuri knew exactly how they’d respond. With the same general hatred and fear as they always did. Very few Mers had a good relationship with Cecaelia. Yuuri knew a handful and they were all lucky to have a run in with his family over the years. If they got a hold of Victor, found out about his mating, they’d trap him inside the cave or worse, kill him. If Yuuri went, he might be able to have some control, but no pod would allow a Cecaelia to wonder into a cave especially at the start of the season. Then again, he’d probably tear the pod apart to get Victor back, but didn’t want to if Victor genuinely had people that he cared about in the pod.

“I’m not going to say no outright, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. There’s a lot of things that could go wrong, Victor. My presence alone would put everyone on edge…and I would be going. With all the misgivings Mers have about Cecaelia, there’s no way to know if they’d let you in and leave again.”

“But they might fight you if you go. A lot of Mers in my pod planned on starting their nests and bonding today. No doubt they’ll notice I’m gone by now.” Victor grew thoughtful. “Yakov will probably yell at me.”

“That will be the least of our worries. I don’t want to sound callous, Victor, but what is so important that you have to go back and get it? Is it worth risking both of us getting hurt?”

“Yes,” Victor said sounding desperate despite how quietly it came out. “I don’t have many material possessions, but these were the last things my parents gave to me…before they died protecting the pod. If it weren’t for that, I’d say forget it, but I need to get them back.”

Yuuri understood immediately. His parents still lived and if they every did die, he would want something to remember them. For Victor, these items were irreplaceable and he knew that they needed to go together to get them back.

“All right. I’ll take you back, but we’re going to do it my way. I know these items are important to you, but your safety comes first. If things get bad, we’re getting away and neither of us are going to go into the cave to keep the peace. I imagine there’s someone in your pod that you can trust to get your things. We’ll ask them to go in for you and we’ll check to make sure you’ve gotten everything before we leave. Is that all right with you?”

Victor smiled, lips curling in a heart shape as swam forward to embrace Yuuri. “Thank you, Yuuri. It means a lot to me that you’re willing to do this for me.”

Yuuri returned the embrace, wrapping tentacles around him to pull him closer. “I want you to be happy here, Victor. If it’s important to you…then I’ll do what I can to make it happen. I can’t promise I’ll understand it, but I’ll try.”

They decided to get something to eat before braving the pod. Yuuri captured a few fish, offering them to Victor first before taking his fill. Victor enjoyed the food and it pleased Yuuri to know Victor enjoyed it. He could provide for his mate and make him happy.

He allowed Victor to lead the way to where his pod’s cave rested. When they got closer, he moved in front of Victor, allowing Victor to direct him from behind. It didn’t take long for the opening of the cave to become visible, several Mers guarding the entrance, shouting at the sight of a Cecaelia so close to the cave. Yuuri stopped wrapping a few tentacles around Victor to pull him close against his back and put up his own defenses against the Mers in case they attacked.

He felt Victor rest his chin on his shoulder and it sent the Mers into a frenzy. It didn’t take long for an older Mer pair to appear, most likely the pod elders, and the man swam past the line of defense, clearly angry.

“You foolish child, Vitya. You threw in your lot with a Cecaelia.” The man shouted. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I should be able to make my own decisions about who I want to mate and when, Yakov.” Victor shot back. “We only came for my things. Have Georgi or Milla get them and bring them here and we’ll leave.”

Yakov shook with anger. “I will do no such thing. You have allowed yourself to be captured. There’s no way I will risk another member of my pod.”

“I’m not leaving until my mate gets what he came for.” Yuuri spoke. “Either we can come up with a compromise to get what belongs to him, or I will go through you to retrieve it myself.”

The older male turned red with anger at the threat. His body shifted to a more fierce and protective stance. Despite his age, he looked ready to protect the pod at any cost. Several other Mers came up behind him to create a protective line in front of the cave.

“You’ll do no such thing.” Yakov hissed. “I won’t allow it. We won’t allow it.”

“Then go get everything that belongs to Victor and we’ll come up with a solution that works better for everyone.”

An older female Mer swam through the line. She looked just as fierce as the other Mers protecting the pod, but in a different way. She must have been Yakov’s mate as she got close enough to put a hand on his shoulder to try to take control of the situation.

“Why not let Victor go in and get his things? He knows what belongs to him and that would solve everything.

“I’m not going back in there to let you try to keep me there. I was forced once, Lilia. I won’t do it.” Victor spoke up. “Not again.”

“I’m not allowing it either.” Yuuri added. “I don’t trust the word of Mers when they have something to gain from all this. Victor stays by my side. Those were my conditions on coming to begin with.”

Like hell would he let his mate back in. They’d try to talk him into returning to the pod which would only hurt them both…and if they tried to force Victor to do anything…Yuuri couldn’t say what he’d do. He knew he’d get his mate back no matter the consequences.

The two elders turned to face each other, speaking low so that no one else could hear. Yuuri watched intently as they called for a red haired Mer to come to them. They sent her into the cave after speaking with her and they waited in silence for her to return.

When she came out, she had an entourage of other Mers with her. The pod seemed to be quite large and they all gathered to witness this. In her hand, she carried a small sack that she hesitantly handed off to one of the males who came out with her. Clearly she didn’t seem happy with how things were turning out even as the male swam to where Yakov and Lilia waited.

Victor stiffened against his back, sinking down a bit so that he could hide his face in Yuuri’s back. It seemed odd behavior for the Mer, but Yuuri’s focused remained on the Mer that approached.

He seemed arrogant…so sure of himself as he held the sack of things close to his body. A grin flashed on his face and he seemed to be the only Mer bold enough to get within a few feet of the Cecaelia. Either he was recklessly brave or extremely foolish.

“So, this is how things have turned out.” The male spoke sounding put out. “We were right about you all along. You turned out to be a useless mer and mate after all. Not once did you contribute anything of use to the pod and now here you are turning your back on your own kind. Your parents would be appalled by your behavior if they were still alive.”

Yuuri felt Victor’s shift against his back. A combination of anger and sadness seeping through the bond. It took everything to keep from coming to his mate’s defense, but he wanted to let Victor handle it.

“You’re wrong.” Victor denied, though it sounded weak. “They always encouraged me to do what was in my heart and it’s not here with the pod. I’m not coming back after this.”

The words only seemed to anger the Mer. His grin turned into a sneer as he grew defensive. “I always knew you were worthless. Still I thought I could reform you by becoming your mate. You don’t deserve these trinkets…though you could earn them back. Return to the pod with me like you were meant to and become my mate…”

Yuuri didn’t let the Mer finish. His hand found it’s way around the creature’s throat so quickly that a strange gurgling sound escaped instead of words. In his haste to try to claw Yuuri’s hand away, he dropped the bag carrying Victor’s things. Victor saw it, leaving Yuuri’s back to swim down to retrieve it while Yuuri’s tentacles found their way around wrists, pinning the disgusting creature and making him helpless.

Victor was the only creature that moved. Checking the bag to make sure everything was there, ignoring the stand off above him. Yuuri’s focus was split between his mate below, the Mer in front of him, and the pod gathered. No one dared to speak as Yuuri fumed.

“Victor, come back up here where I know you’re safe.” He bit out, grateful that Victor did as he asked. Victor pressed against him and he wound his tentacles around his mate as Victor continued to look through the bag.

Crimson eyes bore into the wide, fearful eyes of all the Mers in front of him. He normally didn’t act like this, but he also never had a mate to defend before. It brought out a fierceness in him he never expected.

Bringing his free hand up, he allowed energy to gather. While the spell didn’t pack much of a punch, the Mers didn’t know that. It looked intimidating in his hand and sparked over his fingertips.

“If anyone dares to try to take my mate away from me…they will find I’m not the forgiving type. If anyone insults him, belittles him as anything more than the brave and stunning creature he is will answer to me. And I cannot promise that you wouldn’t see another day. Do you understand me?”

The creature in his grip whimpered before nodding as best as he could. The other Mers watched in a combination of fear and awe…none daring to come to defend or help their captured pod member nor did they speak.

“Yuuri, please.” Victor begged. “I’ve had enough. Can you let him go? Let’s go back to our den.”

Victor’s voice helped to calm him, get him thinking rationally again. Slowly, he released the Mer who backed away as soon as he was free. He still held the energy in his hand as he turned his head to look back at Victor.

“We’re not coming back. Is there anyone you wish to say goodbye to?”

Victor shook his head, burying it into the warm skin of Yuuri’s back. Yuuri breathed out in relief. It would have been another stand off, but he would have allowed Victor to do that.

“What about your things? Did they get everything?”

This time Victor nodded and Yuuri felt a small bit of urgency to get him away from there. He turned back to the pod, settling on the elder pair.

“We’re not returning here and it wasn’t our intent to start trouble with your pod. Since we got what we came for, we’ll be leaving now.” Yuuri spoke in a low tone, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Slowly he backed away from them when the elder Mer swam forward.

“Wait.” He called and Yuuri stopped. He felt Victor peek over his shoulder in curiosity. “I do not trust you, but I see that Victor seems content with you. I want your word that you will take care of him…treat him as a proper mate instead of the horror we so often hear about.”

Yuuri could respect the old Mer for asking that of him. He could never imagine hurting Victor or letting others hurt him. Deciding to finally drop the magic still gathered in his hand, he answered him.

“I already know you do not trust me. But not all Cecaelia are the monsters in your stories. I swear, I will protect him with my life and out of respect for him, I don’t plan of causing any problems with your pod unless you strike first. I will defend myself and my mate.”

His eyes fell to the Mer he didn’t care for. The creature winced at his gaze. If not for Victor’s intervention, he probably would have caused serious damage and wouldn’t hesitate again if they met.

With a final warning glance across the group, he tightened his grip on Victor and took off with a decent enough speed to put some distance in case they decided to pursue him. He slowed down a bit, pulling Victor into his arms.

He needed Victor there…the solid strength that his mate was safe and by his side. Something about the encounter rattled him a bit plus the odd emotions coming through the bond from his mate made him feel like something wasn’t right.

Yuuri didn’t let go of Victor as they entered their den. He didn’t let go until they had to fit into the entrance to their nest. Yuuri went through first, helping Victor through this time.

There was an odd silence between them as Victor swam to their bed. He set the bag down, pulling out a few of the trinkets. He looked drained from their encounter, sad and tired, maybe even lonely. Yuuri decided to give him some space…clearing off a couple of shelves in case Victor wanted to display his things.

“I made some space for you if you want to put your stuff up. If not, it can wait for tomorrow. I’ll have to organize a few more things to give you a bit more room, but it’s a start.”

Victor only nodded. He seemed dazed a bit and Yuuri worried about his mate. Maybe they shouldn’t have gone. It might have been too much for Victor to take emotionally. He remembered the hurt Victor had released in the bond at the mention of his parents.

“Victor…” Yuuri called out hesitantly, unsure of how to approach his somber mate. Tired blue eyes looked up at him and a sad smile crossed his features.

“I thought it’d be easier…leaving them behind. Yakov and Lilia were both good to me especially after my parents died. Georgi and Milla were the closest I had to friends, but they never completely understood me. No one in the pod really did.”

“Are you upset about what that other Mer said to you?”

Victor shook his head, sighing as he lay on his side. He curled up a bit almost like he was trying to keep himself together and it hurt Yuuri to see.

“He was the Mer Yakov picked to be my mate this year. The members of my pod tried to court me for years, but I wanted to fall in love. No one every felt right. In the end, they tried to get their way…complained that I didn’t contribute. At my age, I should be settled with children to look after. I wanted to…just with the right person. Yakov protected me as long as he could, but this year he caved under the pressure. I’m not upset with him, but I wish things had been different.”

Yuuri seethed a bit at that. Victor deserved a chance to find someone to make him happy. To pick the mate he wanted…not settle for someone…especially that creature who didn’t see the real him. Yuuri moved to the nest, picking Victor up and cradling the Mer in his embrace. Victor went willingly, resting his head on Yuuri’s shoulder. Yuuri’s fingers found the tie to his braid, releasing it so he could run his fingers through the silky, silver locks.

“Victor, why did you choose me?” He asked, needing to know the answer.

“The night we met…it was the last night of freedom for me. I tried to get out of my mating that they thought it’d be best if I went back to the mating caves until the time came. I don’t know how I snuck out that night. I just felt a pull and I needed to go.”

Yuuri waited, wanting to hear things from Victor’s perspective. He felt at peace with Victor by his side, something he never felt before, but he wanted to know that Victor felt safe with him too.

“When I realized that you were there, I expected the worst…but then you swam away. Even after you had me in your grasp that night, you still asked me if this was what I wanted.”

Victor reached up to cup Yuuri’s cheek. “You gave me a choice, Yuuri. I may have been acting on a whim that night, but you didn’t try to control me or force me. I realize now I felt safe with you. I’m afraid, because I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I think you’ll always give me a choice and that means more to me that you know. I don’t regret choosing you even though we’re just starting to learn about each other”

Yuuri felt a bit of relief. Victor did want to be here, felt safe in his arms. It made what his pod did worse that Yuuri thought, but still Victor forgave them in his own way. Yuuri nuzzled the spot where is bite mark lay, wishing the bandages could come off for skin contact. Victor shivered again, curling more into Yuuri’s chest.

“What they did to you…they shouldn’t have taken the choice from you. I am glad that I met you that night and you made me so happy that you chose me. I’ll never forget it.”

He shifted, pressing his lips against the Mers. Victor made a soft noise but gave in to the kiss, relaxing and allowing Yuuri to lead. It felt fine at first, but something still felt off to Yuuri.

Taking a moment to really look at Victor, he could see the Mer was still shaking as if cold. His skin felt warm to the touch though. His face looked a little pale and his breathing hitched a bit. Blue eyes looked a little unfocused, but the Mer closed his eyes and leaned on Yuuri’s shoulder.

“Victor, are you all right…you don’t…” Yuuri managed to get out before Victor felt like dead weight in his arms. The Mer fell back and tentacles rose to catch his head before it could hit any hard surfaces.

Yuuri called the Mers name reaching for him through the bond. Victor was unconscious when moments before they had been talking. To make matters worse, Yuuri’s brain raced with all the horrible things that it could be. He couldn’t focus or settle on how to help the Mer who was clearly ill when he’d been fine and full of life before they’d gone to retrieve his things

He took a deep breath, though it did little to calm his mind. Shame filled him at his inability to protect his mate…for failing to see the signs though they had come on rapidly. He’d never seen anything like this before…but maybe his father had. Yuuri needed to get Victor to him, to see if his father could help. He didn’t have time to waste on this and needed to go now.

Gathering his precious mate into his arms, he slipped out back the way they came. He pulled Victor into his arms, securing him so he’d be safe even unconscious. He needed answers and he refused to let Victor slip away from him now that he found him. Taking off at top speed to where his family lived…he felt determined to get there and find out the cause.

He could only hope he could fix this and that Victor would be all right….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun...dun...dun...I know I left it on a cliffhanger. I promise you everything will get explained in the next chapter and it'll go to my plans for the future. Let me know what you think with a comment or kudos! They fuel me to continue writing...
> 
> Please follow me and feel free to reach out to me on Tumblr. I don't look all that active, but I'm on Tumblr just about every day, so I will see it and get back to you as soon as I can. Also if something happens. It'll be one of the first places I'll post why something got delayed or what's going on.
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	4. Solutions and Compromises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay...I'm back with a new chapter after less than two weeks. The next chapter will be in two weeks from now due to me starting a new job and needing to study for a state license test, so I will be very busy and I wanted my stories on opposing week schedules. There's a bit more world building here and it was less conversation more meeting new characters and delivering new info, so hopefully that's okay. Once again, did a quick edit, so forgive my mistakes. I hope you all enjoy!

Victor’s body felt heavy. He had a hard time trying to open his eyes, despite feeling Yuuri’s emotions through their bond. The Cecaelia felt fear, sadness, anger…before feeling a bit of relief and guilt. Fighting the weighty haze, he wanted to reassure Yuuri since he knew his mate felt those emotions for him. Finally, he managed to open those eyes…to see a pair of Mers looking down on him. He didn’t recognize them, but one was older had the same colored eyes as his mate. The younger Mer had a kind, but determined look on her face as she pressed Victor back down.

“Keep still and try to relax.” The younger mer spoke. “You need to rest.”

“What happened?” He asked as he studied both woman. In the older one he saw more and more features that reminded him of Yuuri. Her shoulder length brown hair flowed behind her and both of her brown eyes were filled with warm affection. Her tail was a blue-green color and she looked beautiful in her age. He felt almost certain she was his mother. The younger mer had brown hair pulled back in a bun. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle a bit in wonder when she looked at Victor, but he used to get looks like that with his pod. Her red tail was a unique as his own silver one and for some reason it mad him feel a bit uneasy.

“Over strain, I’m afraid.” The older Mer spoke this time. “Yuuri has been drawing too much energy from your body. My mate thinks when he used his magic to scare your pod, he drew energy solely from your body and didn’t realize it. Because you were so upset with what happened with your pod and Yuuri’s lack of knowledge with it, neither of you noticed the signs. It took a toll on your body, so you need to rest a bit longer.”

“Where’s Yuuri?” He wanted to see him…to know he was all right.

“He’s resting. He didn’t want to leave your side the entire time you were out. We made him go rest too.” The younger Mer spoke up. “He’s fine though. I’m sure he’ll be here as soon as he wakes up.”

Victor tried to relax, but couldn’t completely. He wanted Yuuri to be here with him and to not be surrounded by strangers. The younger mer excused herself and swam out of the cave leaving him alone with the older Mer.

“Don’t mind, Yuuko. She’s got three children, so she comes off a bit stern, but she means well.” The older mer patted his fin. “When my son barreled into our den, begging us to help you. I’ve never seen him so upset. We were surprised to find out he’d taken a mate, but I talked to him about you when we got you settled. Yuuri is already a bit smitten with you and he cares about you.”

It warmed his heart to hear that. Yuuri did seem to legitimately care about him, but he wondered how much. Between defending him in front of his former pod and making sure that he was all right. While he didn’t completely understand everything behind his over strain, he knew Yuuri wouldn’t intentionally harm him.

“I’m going to go get my mate to look you over now that you’re awake and I want to go check on Yuuri. My mate is a Cecaelia, but he won’t hurt you. He’s he one who taught both our children how to respect Mers and take care of them. All you need to do is relax and rest and you’ll be just fine dear.”

“If he’s anything like my Yuuri. I’ll be fine.”

The older Mer beamed at him, nodding before swimming through the same hole Yuuko did earlier. Victor took a moment to look around the cave he was in. He noted it’s setup seemed similar to Yuuri’s own cave setup.

Victor tried to relax and close his eyes, but he just couldn’t quiet his mind. Too many questions flooded in and he really wanted his mate beside him right now. He felt vulnerable without him here.

Almost immediately, he felt a stirring across the bond. Waves of warmth and comfort mixed in with relief and he knew Yuuri woke up and reached out to him to support him. He sent reassuring feeling back and a longing for his mate. A sense of urgency filled him and he knew Yuuri would come for him.

Moments later, his mate swam into the cave, eyes immediately going to where Victor lay on the ground. Victor moved to sit up, but Yuuri shook his head.

“My mom said you still need to rest. Don’t waste your energy trying to get up.” Yuuri spoke swimming closer, but still keeping his distance. “I’m not going anywhere, but we can’t touch while you recover. I promise I’ll explain everything, but right now we’re waiting for my dad to come look you over and make sure you’re doing better.”

“You weren’t here when I woke up…” Victor told him sounding a little sad.

“I’m sorry about that. I haven’t slept since I brought you here. My parents insisted that you’d be fine and basically forced me out.” Yuuri sounded just as sad when he spoke. “They knew I was worried about you and didn’t think my presence did anything to help you recover.. I didn’t know how to help you, it terrified me to think that my presence hurt you.”

“You didn’t thought. I just need some rest and I’ll be fine.” Victor responded, wanting Yuuri to stop feeling guilty. “You didn’t know and I didn’t know and now we do. You and I can take steps to keep it from happening again. I don’t blame you Yuuri, so you don’t need to feel guilty. We’ll learn how to take care of this in the future.”

Yuuri’s face relaxed a bit as Victor looked at him. He seemed softer, a little more at ease with the situation even if the guilty look didn’t completely go away.

“I wish I could hold you right now, but I can’t.” Yuuri admitted as he managed a wry smile.

Victor smiled back. “I’ll let you hold me all you want when you can. I think I’ll be 100% soon.”

“Take your time and recover properly. I don’t want to move too fast and wind up back here.”

“My son is right.” Another voice cut in. “It does no good to rush your recovery.”

Victor looked to the opening to see another Cecaelia there. He never doubted him to be Yuuri’s father. The older Cecaelia reminded him of his mate as much as his mother did. Their features looked much more similar as far as coloring went.

“I hope you both don’t mind me interrupting, but you are still my patient. I want to be sure you’re healing properly and then you and my son are going to talk about how this happen to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the future. I just need you to relax, Victor and I’ll try to be quick about it.”

Victor nodded. Surprisingly he felt at ease with the older Cecaelia’s presence unlike he did with the Mer. He wondered if Yuuri’s presence helped him to relax and Yuuri’s father brought energy into his hands, running the energy over his body. It felt warm on his skin and scales, not painful at all.

“You seem to be healing all right and your energy reserves are returning nicely. Another day or two of rest and you should be fine to return to your own den though I’d refrain from any contact magic use for a few weeks. My son will explain all of this to you in a moment. Talk and then try to get some more sleep. I’ll have my mate bring you some food in a bit and I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed for a bit.”

Yuuri pouted, but his father ignored him, leaving the two of them alone again. Victor rolled onto his side, risking propping his head on his hand.

“What did your father mean by contact magic?” He asked, watching Yuuri stiffen a bit expression returning to a somber one.

“It’s what happened, the other day.” Yuuri hesitated. “When I used magic to scare your pod…instead of drawing on my own energy reserves, I wound up pulling energy from your body instead. Our bodies touched for most of that encounter…”

“And you pulled energy from me that entire time?”

Yuuri nodded. “You’re body isn’t used to being used in that way yet. Most Cecaelia start off small with spells that draw energy with Mers, but I didn’t think…I was so angry about what that other Mer said to you…it didn’t cross my mind even after the fact…”

“Is that why you can’t touch me?” Victor asked. “Will you draw more energy from me that way?”

“Yes, Cecaelia draw small amounts of energy while we’re in contact with Mer. Do you remember when I asked you not to touch me when we met? …my reaction when you did?”

Victor nodded. He’d never forget that night.

“I could feel the power reserves inside of you and I knew that once I made contact with you…I might never let you go. I can’t now that we’re bonded, but it’s the first connection a Mer and Cecaelia make. Just regular contact is minimal and it’s fine day to day, but using large amounts of magic recklessly or even multiple little spells in a short amount of time can harm Mers. In time, we’ll be able to feel the energy transfer between us, but right now it’s so new that it’s difficult to detect…” Yuuri trailed off.

“You said it could hurt me? How so?”

Yuuri looked hesitant to answer. The guilt came back full force as he finally spoke.

“I could have killed you. The energy we pull from Mers isn’t just a reserve though every Mer is capable of storing energy within their bodies. Once it’s used up, we draw on their life energy. If we’d stayed in contact much longer…”

“But we didn’t and you did everything you could for me, Yuuri. I’m still here and we just have to take what we’ve learned to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Victor paused. “Did your father have any suggestions to help us? Speed things up a bit?”

Yuuri shook his head. “It takes time. Even his suggestions take time…though the quickest way out of all of them is for you to get pregnant.”

Silence fell between them as Victor thought about what Yuuri said. The Cecaelia had a tinge of color on his skin and Victor marveled at how cute he was. How could such a powerful creature be so shy even after they’ve already mated…he didn’t understand.

“…or” Yuuri continued. “Practice small spell and get your body more accustomed to having energy drawn from it. Your body will adjust and we can gradually use more powerful spells.”

“And if you did get me pregnant…” Victor teased when Yuuri finished, watching the flush darken a bit, “…how would that help?”

“Ummm…” Yuuri stammered. “You’d be pregnant with a Cecaelia. The baby would draw energy from you to grow. It’d make you vulnerable, but it’d increase your stamina and energy reserve. The more children you have, the higher it gets.”

“I see.” Victor thought about it for a moment. “I might not mind that…especially since making the baby would be fun…”

Yuuri made a choked off sound. He seemed surprised that Victor would consider this.

“Not that I’d mind having creating a child with you come mating season, Victor, I don’t think you know exactly what you’re in for.” Yuuri paused. “I think that’s a better conversation for when we return to our den though.”

“I’ll remind you when we get back there then, but if you think I’m having doubts…” Victor watched Yuuri shake his head.

“I think we have a lot still to talk about. I want to know more about what was going on with your pod. I think there’s some things we need to talk about and I need you to understand everything about carrying my children before we try to start a family. I’d rather us both make an informed decision about it than do it on a whim or let our biologies rule us. That way neither of us will have any regrets in the long run.”

“I don’t think I will, but if it’ll make you feel better, we can talk all you want to, darling.” Victor winked still feeling a bit cheeky.

“My mate is so sure of himself. We’ll see how long that lasts once I put a baby in you.” Yuuri purred back and Victor shivered at the promising tone. Yuuri’s expression lightened a bit. “So you can get a little flustered. Good to know, though you should be resting. We’ll talk more when you’re feeling better.”

“Only for you. You surprise me more than anyone else I know.” Victor admitted, feeling his own bit of shyness creep in. “I know you can’t hold me, but do you think you can lay down next to me a bit. I think I’d be able to fall asleep if you were close to me.”

“Anything for you.” Yuuri breathed and shifted to lay down on the soft sand next to Victor’s bed. They had a bit of distance between them. The feeling of being so close and yet unable to reach out to touch felt maddening. Victor tried to close his eyes, but sleep refused to come to him.

“What’s wrong?” Yuuri asked when Victor opened his eyes again. The Cecaelia watched him warily.

“I want you beside me, but I can feel you there and everything in me wants to reach out and touch you.”

Yuuri looked at him with understanding. “I feel the same, and we’ll have plenty of time for that in a few days to make up for lost time. I could always sing to you…”

Victor perked up a bit. “A lover, a mage, a healer, and a singer…my mate is a man of many talents.”

“I’m nothing special. Just a dime a dozen Cecaelia, but I’m willing to sing for you if you want to hear.”

“Please.” Victor begged. And then Yuuri opened his mouth and sang a sweet song about a beautiful silver mer with scales that shimmered in the moonlight, who put him under a spell as he danced amongst the waves. Victor felt flattered at the words his mate spoke about him and he felt himself finally able to relax as he slowly relaxed enchanted by his Cecaelia singing of loneliness and finding love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the end they stayed with Yuuri’s family for two days. Victor was surprisingly resilient, able to move around fine and quick to pull Yuuri into a hug when given permission to touch him again. To their credit Yuuri’s family seemed pleased that Yuuri found a mate and Victor charmed them a bit.

He got a formal introduction to Yuuri’s parents who seemed smitten with each other as Yuuri told him. Toshiya kept a casual distance claiming now that Victor was healed, Yuuri would be a bit possessive, especially to any Cecaelia close to his mate. Hiroko didn’t seem to have that problem, pulling Victor into a hug and welcoming him into the family.

Yuuri’s older sister Mari kept an even greater distance than her father. The female Cecaelia seemed a bit aloof at first, but gradually joined the conversation with ease after the first day. On occasion, Victor saw the glares Yuuri shot her way and Mari would tease her brother about jealousy and her lack of interest in male Merfolk.

What surprised Victor the most were the other Mer who lived with Yuuri’s family. He’d met Yuuko that first night there and Hiroko had spoken of her mate and children, but it never registered at the time. At their first greeting, Takeshi stepped up to keep Yuuko and their triplets away from the foreign Mer, but the young trio got curious and slipped past their father to bombard Victor with questions about his unique coloring and how they met Yuuri.

Later that night, Yuuri told him how his father had saved Takeshi who had protected Yuuko from being force mated by another Mer. The two of them had been in love, but not openly courting. After Takeshi recovered, they decided to mate and chose to stay with Yuuri’s family to help them. Shortly after that, they found out about Yuuko’s pregnancy with the triplets and Yuuri’s family welcomed them like extended family.

Victor enjoyed their company once he got over the initial awkwardness and felt welcomed into their family. After a few days of having to rest and the need to be close to his mate, he urged Yuuri to take him back to their den so that they could finally be alone. When Yuuri relented, they said their goodbyes, promising to visit again soon before taking off.

They felt giddy as they slipped into the main cave and already Victor felt like he’d returned home after a long journey. It felt a bit strange since he’d known Yuuri less than a week, but the bond felt strong between them. Victor laughed pulling Yuuri with him deeper into the cave.

“Slow down, Victor. We don’t have to rush so much.”

“I know. I’m just happy to be here with you.”

Yuuri hummed. “I think you should go lay down and rest a little bit longer.”

Victor pouted a bit. “Yuuri…I’ve been resting for several days. I’m tired of resting.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

Victor felt like teasing his mate a bit more. His voice turned sultry as he spoke. “I can think of a few things.”

Yuuri chuckled low, seeming unfaded by it this time. “As much as I might want to, I’ve got a bit more self control than you and I do have a bit of work to do since I’m behind now. You could always keep me company.”

The pout returned and Yuuri stole a kiss from Victor, wiping the pout off his face as the Mer melted against him.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I do have some things to take care of. We can continue to talk about what we were talking about the other day. Remember I wanted to be alone with you to talk about our future. Let me show you where I make my medicines and keep my herbs. I can get set up and we’ll go at our own pace. Is that okay?”

Victor nodded and Yuuri held on to his hands, leading him to a part of the cave Yuuri hadn’t shown him on the first day. They slipped through another tight opening and up, breaking through the surface of the water to a small alcove. It looked like Yuuri had a small organized workspace up here.

“This cave has a small opening to dry land. I sometimes go out there to collect herbs and other things I need for salves and medicines. It better to make them when the ingredients are dry.”

“Aren’t you wary of humans or other animals coming in here?”

“Humans can’t fit through the opening on land though I’ve had a few occasional animals get in and make a bit of a mess. They’re mostly harmless though. See how I have the herbs higher up…it’s to keep the animals away from them. It’s completely safe here. I know you can’t really leave the water, but there’s a great rock structure you can lay on and keep your tail in the water.”

Yuuri helped his mate get settled on a slanted rock, he pulled himself up on land and set to work, gathering herbs and beginning to grind and combined ingredients giving Victor a little bit of information as he worked. The Mer forgot for a few moment what they planned on talking about, but soon the silence grew as he watched Yuuri and he could feel Yuuri’s nerves through the bond.

“Yuuri, there’s no rush in talking about this. We have a few weeks before we can even try.”

“If I hold off, I’ll probably lose my nerves and it’s better I tell you now so you have time to think about what you want to do. I’d never force this on you Victor, even if I want children someday.”

Victor hummed thoughtfully. “I want children too. I’ve had too many seasons alone to think about it. I could never picture what my children would look like even though I tried, but I have a better idea since I met you.”

Yuuri stopped and set his mixture to the side. He slid across the sand to where Victor lay. “I’m really flattered, Victor and I see myself having a family with you too, but this is all so new and I don’t think you realize what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Then talk to me…tell me why you’re so concerned about this. Isn’t this one of our solutions to make sure I don’t experience over strain again.”

Yuuri took a deep breath. “It is, but it’s not like having children with other Mer. Have you heard anything about what happens when a Mer gets pregnant with a Cecaeila’s child?”

“No…Mers have fought Cecaelia, so we know a bit of what they’re like, but a mated Mer never returns from being with a Cecaelia.”

“Unlike with Mer, Cecaelia usually only get Mer’s pregnant with a single child at a time. As I understand it, having single births in Mers is rare.”

“It is…I’m a single birth and that made me even more of an anomaly in the pod.”

“It’s common with us. I told you that our children draw energy to grow from their Mer parent, so Mers biologically compensate to carry only one child at a time. The more children you have, the higher your stamina and energy reserves, but while you’re pregnant, you’ll be extremely vulnerable…even weak at times. You’ll need to rely on me a lot which means you need to trust me in your care. Mers carry our children for a lot longer than their own kind. It’ll be difficult for you and there will be times where you hate it, but it’s worth it in the end.”

Victor thought about everything Yuuri was telling him. “The way I see it, I’d rather struggle having a child with you than be forced to have children with a Mer that I hate. I’m willing to try…even as soon as this mating season if you want to. I’m hardly fragile, but I am stubborn and when I set my mind to do something.”

“Victor…some Mer die giving birth to Cecaelia.”

“And some Mer die giving birth to Mer children. I think it’s the same for many species. I’m strong enough to do it Yuuri. Let’s try and see how it goes, but if we can do it, I’d at least like to have two. It’s lonely being an only child.”

Victor saw the look Yuuri give him. A combination of hopeful and sad at the same time. “I just don’t want to do this on a whim or because instinct is telling us to do it. We’ve only been mated for a few days and already we’re so attached to each other…it’s scary to me how much you’ve accepted in such a short amount of time. I just want you to think about it…really think about it and what it would mean, Victor.”

“And I am telling you I have thought about it…maybe not in the sense of being mated to a Cecaelia, but it’s been on my mind these last few seasons. I do want this with you, but if you think we’re moving too fast then fine, we’ll wait until next season.”

Victor knew he was upset by Yuuri’s words. He felt a bit of regret through the bond even as he slid off the rock and back into the water. He swam the way they’d come and back to the main part of the cave to follow the other to where the nest was. Victor hoped Yuuri would stay where he was and let him sulk for a while.

The nest looked just as he left it. His bag of trinkets still sitting on the seaweed covered rock where they’d lay. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that he felt like he’d been with Yuuri for more than just a week.

He reached to take the small bag of things, and began to put them on the shelves Yuuri cleared off for him. It helped to settle himself down a bit and allowed him to think more clearly. Yuuri had been nothing but kind to him and he knew that despite their differences, they could both have what they want.

Maybe they were moving too fast. Maybe he felt quick to jump into it because he’d denied himself for so long. He wanted kids, never doubted it after playing with young Mers growing up and surrounding himself with their laughter and smiles.

Returning to the nest, he curled up thinking about the last couple of days and what he wanted for his future…especially with Yuuri. For the first time he didn’t have any doubts about anything with anyone…he just needed to show Yuuri that…try to make him understand how he felt.

Eventually, his exhaustion caught up with him and he dreamed of being happy with his mate, surrounded by several Cecaelia children all happy and laughing. In the end…his heart ached a little less and he hoped reality would be just as sweet as his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No cliffhanger, but a bit of angst...things will go up between them after this, but there will still be some drama in the future. I really did hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave comments/kudos as they encourage me to keep going. Also feel free to check out my other stories and let me know what you think.
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	5. Unexpected Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Victor have a lot of things still to learn about each other...thankfully they have friends to help give them the push they need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been forever since I updated this story...I know I was working on the companion story Chasing Starlight and with work being so hectic...the main story kind of fell by the wayside. I'm not exactly thrilled with how this turned out, but I wanted to get this out. It's a bit of a filler chapter and I did a very quick edit, so I apologize if I missed anything. I'm pretty sure because the first half of this was done a while ago, I might have repeated some information...but I hope you all enjoy it anyway. Thank you all for your patience waiting for an update!

Yuuri set down his work, realizing he couldn’t concentrate any more on it. Not when he could feel how sad Victor felt through their bond before it closed off. He ran his hand through his damp hair, brushing his back from his face in frustration.

 

He couldn’t deny that he wanted children with Victor. The Mer was gorgeous and strong, but after watching Victor collapse in his arms…it reminded him on just how fragile Mers could be. He’d seen first hand the struggles Mers had giving birth to Cecaelia children, how weak they looked and the pain they went through with hours in labor. His time helping his father helped him to prepare not only to be able to do it as a healer, but to prepare him for the day he’d finally chose a mate and had his own children.

 

Still, he’d been thinking about wanting his own family for a while. Having Victor with him, bonded to him, only brought reality to the situation. He’d already had images of Victor laying in their nest, belly swollen with the weight of their child inside of the Mer. Already he could imagine holding his mate close and caring for him. Watching as their child grew, feeling it shift under the swell as it grew. It was something he’d wanted for a long time, but now…could he risk losing the beautiful Mer for the sake of more.

 

It scared him watching Victor look so pale and limp in his arms. He’d never felt fear like that and knowing he caused it…drew on Victor’s energy without thought and could have…he didn’t want to think about the worst case scenario. He couldn’t fathom losing his mate, not when Victor made him feel whole. More than anything, Yuuri knew he couldn’t go back to a life without Victor with him, even after only a few days of being mates.

 

Still, he couldn’t just ignore the feelings he felt from Victor. The Mer was clearly upset and it warred with his need to protect him. They needed to figure this out together, but he didn’t know how to even begin. All he knew, he needed to talk to Victor and at least find out exactly what upset the Mer. Maybe it wasn’t completely about waiting to have children. Yuuri took a frustrated exhale, trying to get his body to relax. He decided to swim down and recheck the cave entrance to distract him long enough to build up his nerves. Maybe feeling like he was protecting his mate would give him the courage to continue their discussion.

 

He made his way through the cave almost on autopilot. He’d lived there for years and new every dip and turn in his way back down to the main cave. Swimming through the opening to the main cave he almost hissed, sensing that he wasn’t completely alone. He could feel in the water, two creatures approaching. Fighting back his agitation, he knew he couldn’t turn anyone away, especially if they needed help. It wasn’t in him, but he desperately hoped they’d just pass him by and not come in to the cave.

 

What he didn’t expect was for the duo to enter the cave…barely seeing a red, gold, and black blur before he was pulled into a tight hug. He tensed for a moment, already wound up and not expecting the embrace, but his eyes fell to the other creature who’d entered. His eyes widened, genuinely surprised, but able to relax when he realized who was hugging him. By now the Mer pulled back looking up at Yuuri, expression cheery and excited.

 

“Well, did we surprise you.” The mer smirked. “We left a little bit early this year and I couldn’t wait to see my best friend.”

 

“Phichit.” He managed to get out, surprise coloring his tone and mixed with confusion. He really hadn’t expected the duo so soon and he wanted to curse his forgetfulness.

 

“You sound surprised to see us, Yuuri.” The other Cecaelia purred, voice smooth as he set down a few things on the sandy cave floor. “While I expected that a bit, seeing as we are early, I didn’t expect you to seem so annoyed by our arrival.”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “No, it’s not that. It’s great to see both of you and I still stand by our arrangement, Chris. It’s…it’s been a hectic week is all. I’m behind and well…”

 

He let the words trail off, not quite sure how to explain Victor…especially since he hadn’t told Victor about their guests. He’d known Phichit since he was younger, the two of them sneaking off to play. Pitchit’s pod came from the West, outsides the seas of the country of Thailand. They had darker skin and rather brightly colored scales. Phichit loved to wear gold to contrast with his skin and because it was shiny and being the social Mer that he was, he liked to stand out. It was Phichit’s outgoing nature, brash fearlessness, and ever inquisitive nature that allowed them to remain friends. They’d stumbled into each other and Phichit wanted to know everything about Yuuri and Cecaelias.

 

They met in secret for years, Phichit a rare mer who wanted to mate with a Cecaelia and wanted to know the best way to seduce the Cecaelia of his choice. Yuuri did his best to give Phichit the information he wanted and they had fun growing up, Yuuri getting over some of his anxious habits thanks to Phichit’s antics. He was there when Phichit first caught sight of Chris…a wandering Cecaelia who was originally from the seas around Europe. Chris had a gift for enchanting objects and was a huge reputation for being a playboy.

 

Phichit set his sights on the Cecaelia though…wanting to be the one Mer to catch his gaze. It was the first time Yuuri ever saw the Mer hesitate…or feel shy about approaching the Cecaelia. In the end after a lot of hard work with Yuuri helping. Phichit managed to persuade Chris to mate with him. The duo had been happy ever since and traveled all over the place. During mating season, they needed a place to settle from their traveling. In exchange for Chris making things to help Yuuri as a healer, Yuuri offered to let the two of them stay with him during the season. It’d never been a big deal before, but he didn’t know how Victor would feel having another Mer and Cecaelia in his home.

 

“Well, what?” Chris pressed. “Don’t tell me you’re stressing the upcoming season? Or maybe there’s been some changes in your life? I’m still waiting for the day when we show up to find you settled down with a mate.”

 

Yuuri froze, but the duo didn’t seem to notice. Phichit laughed lightly, going back over to put his hands on his mate. “Don’t tease him, Chris. You might be my mate, but I’ve know Yuuri a lot longer than you. Best friends have to stick together sometimes you know.”

 

Chris smirked. “Ah, but it’s because we’re friends that I can tease him a little myself. I am grateful to Yuuri for bringing us together and more. I want to see him happily mated with his own pretty Mer someday. After all, he’s the reason I wound up with you, cheri. We may have to step up and find him a mate before we leave this season.”

 

“Actually…” Yuuri started to say, but stopped not really sure how to admit what’s been distracting him the last week. They’d find out soon enough, though from the look on their faces when he hesitated, seems like he didn’t need to say it.

 

“No…”Phichit said half in denial, half excited. “Don’t tell me you actually did it. You have a mate now?”

 

Yuuri felt his cheeks flush a little and he couldn’t meet their eyes as he nodded. Phichit’s excited little sound as he came back over to Yuuri to practically shake him. The Cecaelia expected this kind of reaction from his friend though.

 

“You can’t just drop a bomb like that and not say anything else. I need details. What’s his or her name? Where are they from? What are they like? How did you meet? Don’t keep us in suspense.”

 

“His name is Victor and I claimed him a few days ago. I wish I had more to give you on where he’s from and a bit more about him, but the last few days have been rough. We haven’t had a chance to really get to know each other.” Yuuri admitted feeling a little ashamed. He’d spent more time worrying and prepping for the upcoming season, he didn’t know nearly enough.

 

Taking a few minutes, he explained everything from the beginning knowing he wouldn’t get away with abbreviating anything when it came to Phichit. The Mer was stubborn and having grown up knowing how Yuuri acted and thought, he knew how to get Yuuri out of his head. Plus Chris for all his teasing remained equally level headed. He told the story from the beginning…meeting Victor down to the discussion about having children so soon and not knowing what to do. Chris and Phichit listened intently until he was done and it was Chris that seemed to be the most thoughtful.

 

“From the sounds of it, your mate sounds like an arctic Mer from the far Northern Seas.” Chris spoke up. “They’re strong, stubborn in ways that no one can quite explain, but from my brief experiences, they’re beautiful and quite loyal to their mates. Extremely distrusting of Cecaelia and their motives. I’m surprised you managed to snag a beauty as your mate.”

 

Phichit pouted,clearly not happy with the way the conversation turned. “You don’t even know if he’s pretty.”

 

“Ah, cheri, I can esthetically consider a Mer pretty, but none can compare with the exotic beauty that I find myself lucky to be mated to.” He paused to pull his mate into his arms and Phichit grinned at the affection. It made Yuuri’s heart ache as Chris turned back to address him. “I can’t pretend to know how your mate feels when it comes to children, but the two of you are going to need to figure out a compromise. If he’s so desperate to have children…determined to get pregnant, maybe ask him why it’s so important to him. I know you and how your anxiety gets in the way of acknowledging you skills among other things. If you continue to stress over everything that could go wrong…you might miss out on something that would be good in your life.”

 

“I do want kids…just not this season. I want a chance to get to know him and feel like I’m better prepared. I’m behind as it is.” Yuuri admitted raking a hand through his hair to push it away from his face. “I’m torn because he’s upset and I was planning on talking to him when you showed up. I don’t know how we can compromise on this if we have completely different ideas on what we want.”

 

“I have an idea as to why he might be acting that way.” Phichit spoke up. “If he’s been holding out on mating…wanting to fall in love before taking a mate…he’s been denying his instincts for children for a bit. It’s hard for him to hold those instincts back now that he has you. It took me some time to adjust considering Chris and I wanted to wait a few seasons to have kids, but if he’s been waiting for so long…well it’s gonna be harder for him to get it out of his head. You might have a sulky mate this season if you hold out on him, but I’d talk to him to be sure.”

 

“Go to him, Yuuri. We know where to go and can get settled just fine on our own.” Chris added.

 

“I expect you and your mate to join us later. I can’t wait to meet the Mer that managed to get under your skin and agree to mate you.”

 

“You might want to warn him about me and Chris too. He may not be completely comfortable directly meeting us since we’ll be strangers in his new den.” Phichit agreed pulling Yuuri into a hug. “I’m looking forward to meeting him. I’m happy that you finally found someone.”

 

Yuuri watched them go. There was a particular cave Chris like to set up in every time, so Yuuri knew he’d be able to find them again. The cave system was only so big anyway and both Chris and Phichit knew where his main den was if he took too long. Swimming off to the den, he stopped just stopped outside of it to steal his nerves. He didn’t know how upset Victor actually was and if he was unwelcome in their nest, or worst the den itself, well Yuuri would have to accept it and give Victor his space for now.

 

Pushing through the opening, he saw Victor curled up in the nest. The mer looked to have fallen into a restless sleep. It bother Yuuri to see him like that when the Mer should be comfortable in his own nest. He knew it could still use some work, Victor’s own touches to make it truly theirs, but it still should have brought the Mer comfort after spending a few days in it. Swimming close, he hovered outside the nest, slowly brushing the soft silver strands away from his face.

Victor stirred and Yuuri pulled back as blue eyes opened. He hesitated, not knowing how to react to the expression on Victor’s face. The Mer looked sad, even potentially resigned and it hurt a bit.

 

“Hey,” Yuuri started trying to break the silence.

 

“Hi.” Victor responded, still sounding sad. The ache in Yuuri’s chest deepened a bit.

 

“Victor, I know I upset you and there’s so much we still need to learn about each other. I want to understand why this is so important to you. I need to understand why it upset you so much.”

Victor remained quiet for a little bit longer. He looked lost in thought…as if debating what he wanted to say to Yuuri.

 

“I’m being selfish again.” Victor finally spoke, his voice sounding a bit resigned. “I guess I’ve thought about it for so long…always waiting for the right partner to come along. It never occurred to me that they might not want the same thing…”

 

“Victor, I do want a family with you.” Yuuri blurted out quickly, a part of him recognizing that some of the logic Phichit told him echo in Victor’s words. “I want you to know that, but I want to wait at least until next season. I want to be prepared for it…and I want to get to know you before then. Maybe it’s a little bit selfish on my part, but we just became mates. I want to know everything about you before we add a child into the mix. And trust me, I’ve already had the urge to put a baby in you, to watch you swell with our child growing inside you. I don’t want you to think I don’t want that.”

 

Victor finally sat up at that, shifting closer to Yuuri. Yuuri gathered the Mer into his arms, shifting so that he could curl up against Yuuri’s chest. The urge to take care of his mate filled Yuuri and he still wanted to know why Victor felt so strongly about doing this immediately. He’d wait until Victor felt ready to tell him, knowing if he pushed the Mer, Victor might not answer him at all.

 

“I’m not that young in Mer years. I’ve waited so many seasons for the right Mer to come along. I’ve wanted to start a family for years…every season it’s gotten harder and harder to ignore. The older I get, the harder it’ll be for me to conceive, sometimes I worried that by the time I found someone right for me, I’d be past my prime to have children. I don’t want that dream to slip away, and I don’t even know if it’s too late.”

 

Yuuri felt surprised at that. Victor looked younger than him so he didn’t think age was too much of a concern. “Victor, if I can ask…how old are you?”

 

The Mer chuckled, though it was a darker tone than one of amusement. “This will be my 27th season…my 7th active mating season.”

 

Yuuri held back the sound that threatened to spill from his throat. He’d never would have guessed that his mate was older than him, but he still didn’t find it to much of a problem…especially when he explained one of the many effects mating with Yuuri would have on Victor.

 

“You’re older than me. I’m only 23 seasons…but we start hunting for mates younger than Mers. So this will be my 6th active season.” Yuuri explained. “Besides that, I think you’ll find that there are a few advantages of being mated to a Cecaelia. One of them is that it prolongs the amount of seasons a Mer can conceive. When we bite and bond our mates, it alters your body a little to match it more to my own.  Every Mer reacts a little differently, but the fertility aspect is usually the same for all. We have plenty of time to start a family.”

 

Victor’s eyes turns to look at him…eyes curious at what Yuuri had just told him. The vibrant blue looked so hopeful that Yuuri wanted to give Victor the world in that moment just to see that look again. He thought about their circumstances for a moment realizing they had another option. Yuuri was still nervous about admitting his idea, but if he wanted Victor and him to truly partners, he would have to compromise.

 

“Victor, I have to admit I’m nervous about this, but what if we…” He paused settling his nerves. “Why don’t we don’t put any restrictions on this season and just let everything happen naturally? I can’t promise that you’ll get pregnant this season, but let’s not limit ourselves and our future.”

 

The pure look of joy on Victor’s face, the press of Victor’s lips against his own, was all the answer he needed from his mate. Victor smiled when he pulled back finally giving him an answer. “Yes, I want that with you. I’m willing to do that with you.”

 

Yuuri felt a bit of relief now that he’d taken care of that. His life with Victor, the path they walked together, wouldn’t be easy, but it’d be worth it in the end. It felt good to just hold his mate in his arms, feeling as though he was learning more about his mate and that they were one step closer to growing their bond even stronger than before.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Victor felt comfortable in Yuuri’s arms, content now that he understood a bit more. He let his selfishness get the better of him, but now they had a bit of a better understanding of each other. He felt better about their future together and hoped they wouldn’t have another moment like this. They used this time to start to get to know each other. Victor spoke about his home in the Northern Waters, of his childhood, of his hopes and dreams for them. Yuuri told him a bit more of his own childhood, of his need to learn how to heal others, of his own goals moving forward. It was good to just talk it through and yet they only scratched the surface of learning about each other.

 

Victor got a feeling that Yuuri was holding back on something. The Cecaelia seemed a bit distracted by something. While he didn’t see it as anything bad, he became curious as to why Yuuri would keep something from him.

 

“Yuuri, is something wrong?” He asked. “You seem distracted.”

 

“Ah…well, there is something else I wanted to talk about. Something I forgot about until a little bit early today.” Yuuri said. “Nothing bad, but we have some visitors that’ll be with us for an extended period of time. I have a pair of friends, a traveling mated pair, that I’ve had an arrangement with for years. They’re nomadic…originally from seas further west of us. They travel all over, but like to settle here for mating season. Usually, I let them stay in one of the caves here and in exchange, they do things for me when I ask. I didn’t want to spring it on you so suddenly, but they arrived early and I forgot they were coming. My focus has been on you these last few days.”

 

Victor thought about it for a moment and he realized Yuuri thought he’d be bothered by their presence in their home. He would have been if Yuuri invited them into their den, but it seems like they were staying in another part of the cave. Mers were social creatures which is why they traveled in pods, so it might be good for him if he didn’t spend the upcoming season alone.

“Tell me about them.” Victor said fondly, wanting to know about their visitors. As Yuuri’s friends, they had to be important to him.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

“Are the Cecaelia? Mers? You said they’re from the west…which part? Anything else you’re willing to tell me about them.”

 

Yuuri chuckled a bit at his eagerness. “Chris is from the waters outside of Europe. He’s a Cecaelia who has a unique gift of creating magical items. He can fortify, strengthen,and even infuse his magical properties into ordinary objects. He’s helped to give me tools that I can use as a healer. It’s part of our agreement to let him stay here. I met him during my first active season. He’s a bit of a harmless flirt, a little frustrated to see so many Mers run from him. Where he’s from, Cecaelia properly court and encourage their chosen mate to choose them to bond with. Needless to say, watching Mers run frightened and even attack him as if he were hostile confused him a bit. It took him coming to my family to get patched up before he understood what was going on.”

 

Yuuri paused to think for a moment. “I don’t think he would have come back the next year if he hadn’t already made trade deals for the following year. As luck would have it, he ended up meeting his mate Phichit the next year. Phichit and I grew up as friends…odd as that sounds. Phichit’s pod comes from the seas outside of Thailand. They alternate between different mating grounds to balance out their chances for fertility…or so Phichit tells me. Still, whenever his pod came, he’d always sneak off and come find me wanting to learn everything he could about Cecaelia. I found out later that he was fascinated by us and determined to claim one as a mate. When Chris returned to do business here, it only took one look and Phichit was determined to make an impression. He ended up courting Chris which was a bit in reverse from what Chris was used to, but the moment Chris realized it, he agreed taking Phichit as his mate. They’ve been together ever since and have come back here every year since then. Apparently Phichit insists on coming to see me.”

 

Victor felt a bit of excitement. The prospect at meeting more people important to Yuuri…to potentially have another Mer to talk to…to get a different perspective than just his own pods. He wondered what more he could learn.

 

“Could we go meet them? They sound like they’re an interesting duo.”

 

“Interesting is not the word I’d use, but I’ll let you get your own impression of them. I have an idea which cavern they’d set up in, let’s go.”

 

Victor slid out of his grip, swimming to give his mate room to move himself. Yuuri reached for his hand, leading Victor through the maze of caves until they found one with the pair cuddling in a make shift nest. They’d likely build a better one in the next couple of days. Victor couldn’t imaging having to build a new nest every time he tried to settle in a new place, but they seemed comfortable. So comfortable, that it took them a moment to realized that Yuuri and Victor had joined them.

 

The other Mer made an excited sound, red tail flickering as he left his mates embrace and darted forward Victor barely got to see the darker features of the Mer before he was gathered up in an embrace, spinning in the water, with warm laughter in his ears.

 

“Wow.” The foreign Mer said, pulling back so Victor could better see the darker tone of skin that contrasted his own drastically. The Mer had an infectious smile, dark eyes wide and curious. Even his hair was black in color…so different from what Victor was accustom too in his home seas of the North. Also unusual was the amount of gold draped over his skin, not that Victor didn’t sometimes wear his own treasures, just not quite as open as the other Mer. “Yuuri you caught yourself a nice one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any mer with this coloring before. Different, but very pretty. I’m a little jealous.”

 

“Phichit, darling. We are used to your bluntness. I doubt our new friend here knows how to respond to you at this point.” The Cecaelia came up from behind the Mer, wrapping his arms around Phichit’s waist and pulling him away from Victor a bit. The Cecaelia had dark tentacles, black with red underneath His skin was a bit darker than Yuuri’s but not as dark as his mates. He had wavy hair longer at the top and lighter with a dark undercut. His face held a bit of scruff on it that made him look a little rugged. His green eyes studied Victor for a moment and gave him a quick wink when he saw Victor studying him back.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Victor. Yuuri spoke highly of you when we arrived and it’s good to see him happy for once. My name is Chris and this is my mate Phichit. I know it’s a bit of an inconvenience of us being here with you being newly mated, but we appreciate the refuge for the season. We’ll make different arrangements next season if this becomes too much for you. We never wanted to be an intrusion and we’ve been waiting eagerly for Yuuri to settle down with a lovely Mer to keep him grounded. We’re both thrilled he found you.”

 

Victor felt his cheeks flush at Chris words, but he managed one of his heart shaped smiles as he answered them. “Thank you. These last few weeks have been filled with surprises, but I’m thrilled to learn more about Yuuri and to meet his friends. He’s told me a little about you both, though I suspect I’ll find out more for myself over these next few weeks.”

 

Chris returned the smile with a smirk of his own, his voice so deep he practically purred in delight. “Oh, I like him, Yuuri. He’s not like some of the other Northern Mers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. I’m looking forward to learning more about him. I think we both are.”

Victor felt a little bit of Yuuri’s possessiveness through their bond as Yuuri wrapped his arms around Victor’s waist and pulled him back against the warm chest. The mer looked back to see a bit of challenge in Yuuri’s eyes and knew despite the other two backing off the moment Yuuri snapped from the obvious flirting. Yuuri went stiff behind him, tension filling the air. Despite that,  Chris laughed lightly further provoking the other male.

 

Victor caught on that his mate was feeling jealous of Chris attempts to flirt, as if he’d look at the other Cecaelia when all he wanted was Yuuri. Still he didn’t think any words would dissuade Yuuri from his emotions at the moment. It wouldn’t take too long for his mate to want to retreat, taking Victor with him.

 

“Easy. I was only teasing you, Yuuri. I wouldn’t dare try to make a move on your mate, though I’d understand if you need a few minutes to cool off.” Chris pointed out when Yuuri let out a low growl. “Honestly, it’s fun to tease you like this and it might be good for Phichit and I catch up on our own time. Take your mate back to your den and I’ll treat you to dinner later. I’ll even throw in a little something special I’ve been working on just for you.”

 

Yuuri was already backing out of the cave. Victor caught Phichit’s equally amused look. “It was nice to meet you too Victor. We’ll have to catch up a bit later. I want to learn all sorts of things from you about Northern customs and I have to introduce you to my pets. You two have fun in the meantime.”

 

Phichit simply waved even as Yuuri pulled him out of the cavern and around the corner out of their sight. Yuuri pressed him against the wall as soon as they were back in the den, pressing their lips together in a possessive kiss. Victor let Yuuri take charge in deepening the kiss, letting the Cecaelia try to pull him closer, wrapping hit tentacles around him.

 

He gasped, eyes closing when Yuuri went to tease over their bond mark. It was still sensitive, even if it was over a week old, and Victor let his head fall back to give Yuuri more access. Victor could feel just how much Yuuri needed this. He could feel his mate’s desperate attempt to get them closer.

 

“Yuuri,” He moaned, trying to catch the Cecaelia’s attention. Yuuri growled again, pulling back so Victor could see the fire and need in his eyes.

 

“You’re mine…I found you, I claimed you…you’re my mate.”

 

Victor gasped at the words, all but melting from the possessive tone. It was as if Yuuri needed some sort of reassurance. He looked so different like this, eyes filled with need. It was Eros in it’s finest, fueled by jealousy and something primal. Yuuri already claimed him in every way possible. After the argument, the feeling of inadequacy, of jealousy…after the stress of everything they’ve experienced since their mating…they both needed this.

 

They came together quickly, both desperate and needy. It didn’t take long for both of them to reach their climax. They came down from their high, curled up together, Yuuri’s tentacles still wrapped around Victor’s tail and body, keeping him close. Victor basked in Yuuri’s warmth, head laying on the Cecaelias chest as he let his hands wander over the muscles of Yuuri’s chest and stomach.

 

“You know I’m yours, right. I picked you…chose you to be my mate. I’ve had the opportunity to pick so many others, and I waited until I found the perfect mate for me. I know we haven’t known each other long, but no matter what anyone says…Mers mate for life. I’ll always be loyal to you.” He said into his skin. “And Chris was teasing you the whole time. I get the feeling he’s happy with his mate.”

 

“I know that. I just…” Yuuri said. “I didn’t know I could feel like that…”

 

The Cecaelia trailed off and Victor got the impression he wanted to say more, but when he stayed silent, Victor decided not to push. Instead he curled up with his mate, content for the first time in a long time. He didn’t want to break the peace between them. He wanted to let it linger a little while longer. He and Yuuri would work everything out in the long run, he just had to learn to be patient and have a little faith.

 

Now that he had his mate…there wasn’t anything they couldn’t overcome together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I keep saying it, but I'm really trying to work out a writing schedule. My schedule changed in November and I'm working nights now. It's taken a lot longer than I care to admit to get used to it. I can do a little bit of writing at work since I work on the phone and I have to wait for calls to come in...but sometimes it's a bit hard to focus. My goal for the new year is to try to update my stories at least once a month, but we'll see. Thanks again for waiting patiently!
> 
> Wanna talk about my stories with me...feel free to ask questions on Tumblr (Yes I know Tumblr is dying, but I'm not going anywhere since I don't really have anything to worry about) or join my Discord channel. Links Below
> 
> Discord: [Here](https://discord.gg/9bu7RA2/)  
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> 

**Author's Note:**

> So what did you think? Leave me a comment to let me know!
> 
> Also, come follow me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> I post updates there and sometimes previews. Feel free to comment or ask me questions. I may not seem active, but I'm on there every day and will do my best to answer.  
> Also please check out my other stories! Let me know what you think of them too!


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